Type bar rest support



Dec. 22, 1964 R. SALTO TYPE BAR REST SUPPORT Filed Sept. 13, 1963INVENTOR United States Patent Cfilice 3,162,288 Patented Dec. 22, 19643,162,283 TYPE BAR REST SUlPiURT Rinaldo alto, Ivrea, Italy, assignor toIng. C. Olivetti & t1, S.p.A., llvrea, Italy, a corporation of ItalyFiled Sept. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 388,709 Claims priority, applicationItaly, Sept. 17, 1962, 18,4fi/ 62 5 Claims. ((11. 197-42) This inventionrelates to a type bar rest support for typewriters and like machineshaving a substantially semicircular segment with a plurality of typebars pivotally mounted thereon at differential angular positions, saidsupport comprising an arcuate element for cushioning the head of saidtype bars when restored, said element being mounted for radial as wellas tangential displacement on an arcuate guide secured to said segment.

Many rest supports of the above kind have been proposed to reduce thenoise and to prevent the rebound and the vibrations caused by the shockof the type bars when restored against the arcuate element.

In a known rest support, the arcuate element is mounted on the type barsegment by yieldable means formed of a pair of leaf springs, each springhaving one end secured to a projection of the element and the other endpivoted on the segment, compensating weights being secured to the twoends of the element. Since the leaf springs directly connect the elementwith the segment, they are differently affected by the different typebars when restored, whereby some type bars will rebound or vibrate morethan others.

In another known rest support, the arcuate element is mounted for radialas well as tangential movement on an arcuate guide secured to thesegment. In this support the arcuate element is connected to the guideby yieldable means formed of a spiral spring tensioned between the twoends of the guide and embraced by a flexible tube supporting saidelement. A disadvantage of this rest support is due to the friction ofthe spring into the tube. Furthermore, the lateral type bars tension thespring substantially less than the central type bars, whereby some typebars will rebound more than others as in the above case.

The main object of the invention is to provide a type bar rest supportsimple and inexpensive to manufacture and obviating all the abovedisadvantages.

Another object is to provide a type bar rest support adapted to beaffected substantially in a constant manner irrespective of the angularposition of the cushioned type bar. I

With these and other objects in view, in a typewriter having asubstantially semicircular segment with a plurality of type barspivotally mounted thereon at differential angular positions, I nowprovide the combination of an arcuate element for cushioning the head ofsaid type bars when restored, an arcuate guide secured to said segmentand mounting said element for radial as well as tangential relativedisplacement, yieldable means for connecting each one of the two ends ofsaid element to said guide, and intermediate means interposed betweeneach one of said two ends and said yieldable means and so pivoted as toenable said yieldable means to be affected by said element under theshock of the restored type bar substantially in -a constant mannerirrespective of the angular position thereof.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a right hand longitudinal sectional view of a typewritersegment embodying a type bar rest support according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional front view of the rest support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 6 indicates a substantiallysemicircular segment of a conventional typewriter. A plurality of typebars 4 is pivotally mounted on a pivot wire 5 of the segment 6 atdifferential angular positions. The type bars 4 normally contact a typebar rest support generically indicated by the numeral 7.

The support 7 comprises an arcuate element or pad 8 (FIG. 2) forcushioning the head of the type bars 4 when restored. The pad 8 is madeof a suitable moulded resilient material, such as rubber or plastic, andis mounted for radial as well as tangential displacement on an arcuateguide 9, 9 (FIG. 1). The guide 9, 9 is formed of a pair of symmetricplates 9 mutually contacting along a rim 9' and fastened by means ofstuds 10 (FIG. 2). The plates 9 in turn are secured to the segment 6(FIG. 1) by means of two rods 11. The pad 8 is located between theplates 9 and is provided with a pair of arcuate notches 12 each onehousing a second rim 13 of the corresponding plate 9.

Each one of the two ends of the pad 8 (FIG. 2). is connected to theguide 9, 9 by yieldable means 14, intermediate means 15, 16 beinginterposed between each end of the pad 8 and the yieldable means 14.More particularly, said yieldable means 14 are formed of a pair ofspiral springs 14 tangentially located within the guide 9, 9 in aportion deprived of the rims 9' and each one connected at one end,namely at the lower end, to a pin 21 secured on the two plates 9 (FIG;3). The; intermediate means 15, 16 are formed of a pair of two armedlevers 15 (FIG. 2) associated with said pair of springs 14 and radiallylocated at the corresponding end of the guide 9, 9. Each lever 15 ispivoted on a pin 22 of a corresponding link 16, which in turn ispivotally linked on a pin 23 secured to the corresponding end of the twoplates 9 and is tangentially located within the guide 9, 9. A first arm21 of each lever 15 is connected to the other end, namely to the upperend, of the corresponding spring 14, while another arm 19 of each lever15 is connected to a ring 18 (FIG. 3) protruding out of thecorresponding end of the pad 8. The two rings 18 (FIG. 2) are each onesecured to a corresponding end of an inextensible reinforcing cable 17made of flexible vegetable or synthetic fiber moulded within theresilient material of the pad 8 (see also FIG. 1).

The type bar rest support 7 operates as follows.

When a central type bar 4 (FIG. 2) is restored, its shock against theinner edge of the pad 8 causes this pad to be altered in form andsubstantially displaced radially downwards. This displacement throughthe rings 18 is tangentially transmitted to the levers 15 which arerocked in a manner as to tension the springs 14. The power of the shockis thus rapidly absorbed by the springs 14 which cushion the type bar 4and prevent same from rebounding or vibrating. Obviously the alterationin form and the displacement of the pad 8 is followed by the other ad os3 jacent type bars, whose restoring springs, not shown in the drawing,contribute in absorbing the power of shock. In this case the links 16are not affected by the rocked levers 15, because the force applied byeach spring 14 to the corresponding lever 15 and the force :appliedthereto by the ring 18 are tangential to the guide 9, 9 andsubstantially parallel to the direction determined by the pins 22 and23.

On the contrary, when a lateral type bar 4 is restored, its shockagainst the pad 8 causes alteration in form and substantially radialdisplacement of the pad 8- at the corresponding end. The tangentialcomponent of the force applied by the corresponding ring 18 to the lever15 and caused by this radial displacement is less than in the abovecase, whereby the levers 15 remain sub-' stantially unrocked. Thedisplacement of the pad 8 causes rather a radial component of the forceapplied by the ring 18 to the lever 15 which now'through the pin '22urges the corresponding link 16 to rock about its pin 23 and against theaction of the same spring 14. Therefore in this case, too, the spring 14corresponding to the shocked end of the pad, and in a minor amount theother spring 14, are tensioned substantially in a manner similar to thatof the case of the central type bars.

It is thus clear that the intermediate means 15, 16 interposed betweeneach end of the element 8 and the yieldable means 14 are so pivoted asto enable said yieldable means to be aifected by said element under theshock of the restored type bar substantially in a constant mannerirrespective of the angular position thereof.

It will be understood that many changes, improvements and addition ofparts may be made in the above embodiment without departing from thescope of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that all mattercontained in'the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a typewriter having a substantially semicircular segment with aplurality of typebars pivotally mounted thereon at differential angularpositions, a type bar rest support comprising in combination:

(a) an arcuate element for cushioning the head of said type bars whenrestored,

(b) an arcuate rigid guide secured to said segment and mounting saidelement for radial as well as tangential relative displacement,

(c) a pair of springs for connecting each one of the two ends of saidelements to said guide,

(d) and intermediate means interposed between each one of said two endsand the corresponding spring of said pair so pivoted on said guide astoenable said pair of springs to be aifected by said element under theshock of the restored type bar substantially in a constant mannerirrespective of the angular position thereof. V

2. In a typewriter having a substantially semi-circular segment with aplurality of type bars pivotally. mounted thereon at dilferentialangular positions, a type bar rest support comprising in combination:

(a) an arcuate elementfor cushioning the head of said type bars whenrestored,

(b) an arcuate guide secured to said segment' and mounting said elementfor radial as well asrtangential relative displacement, A

(c) a pair of yieldable means each'one connecting a 7 corresponding endof said element to said guide,

(d) and a pair of two'armed leversassociatedwith said pair of yieldablemeans, a first arm of each lever being connected to the correspondingyieldable means, another arm being connected to the cor-.- responding.endpf said, element, said levers being radially, located at thecorresponding end of said a guide and being so pivoted as to enable saidyieldable means to be affected by said element under the shock of therestored type bar substantially in a constant manner irrespective of theangular position thereof.

3. In a typewriter having a substantially semicircular segment with aplurality of type bars pivotally mounted thereon at ditferential angularpositions, a type bar rest support comprising in combination:

(a) an arcuate element for cushioning the head of said type bars whenrestored,

(b) an arcuate guide secured to said segment and mounting said elementfor radial as well as tangential relative displacement,

(c) a pair of springs each one connecting a corresponding end of saidelement to said guide,

(d) 'a pair of two armed levers associated with said pair of springs, afirst arm of each lever being connected to the corresponding spring,another arm being connected to the corresponding end of said element,

(e) and a pair of links each one pivotally linked to a corresponding endof said guide and tangentially located thereimeach one of said leversbeing radially located'at a corresponding end of saidguide and being so'pivoted ,on the corresponding link of said pair as to enable thecorresponding spring to be affected by said element under the shock ofthe restored type bar substantially in a constant manner irrespective ofthe angular position thereof.

7 '4'. In a typewriter having a substantially semicircular segment witha plurality of type bars pivotally mounted thereon at differentialangular positions, a type bar rest support comprising in combination:

'(a) an arcuate element for cushioning the head of said type bars whenrestored,

(b) an arcuate guide secured to said segment and mounting said elementfor radial as well as tangential relative displacement,

, (c) a pair of spiral springs, each oneconnected at one end to saidguide,

(d) a pair ,of two armed levers associated with said pair of springs, afirst arm of each lever being connected to theother end of thecorresponding spring, theother arm being connected to the correspondingend of said element,

.(e) and'a pair of links each one pivotally linked to a correspondingend of said guide and tangentially located therein, each one of saidlevers being radially located at a corresponding end of said guide andbeing so pivoted on the. corresponding link of said pair as to enablethe corresponding spring to be affected by said element under the shockof the restored typebar substantially in a constant manner irrespectiveof the angular position thereof,

5. In a typewriter having a substantially semicircular segment with aplurality of type bars pivotally mounted thereon at differential angularpositions, a type bar rest support comprising in combination:

3 (a) an arcuate elementfor cushioning the head of said type bars whenrestored, said element being made of moulded resilient material,

(b) an inextensible reinforcing cable moulded within the material ofsaid element,

(c) a ring secured at each end of said cable and protruding out of thecorresponding .end of said element, (d) an arcuate guide. secured tosaid segment a and mounting said element for radial as well astangential relative displacement,-

(e) a pair ,of spiral springs each one connected at one end to saidguide, a

. (j) a pair .of two armed levers associated with said pair of springs,a first'arm of each lever being con- 7 nected to the other end of thecorresponding spring,

5 the other arm being connected to the corresponding ring of said cable,

(g) and a pair of links each one pivotally linked to a corresponding endof said guide and tangentially located therein, each one of said leversbeing radially located at a corresponding end of said guide and being sopivoted on the corresponding link of said pair as to enable thecorresponding spring to be af- References Cited by the Examiner UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Koerner 197-42 Pasinski 197-42 X DOnofrio l9742 Brann197-42 fected by said element under the shock of the restored 10 ROBERTE PULFREY Primary Examiner

1. IN A TYPEWRITER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICIRCULAR SEGMENT WITH APLURALITY OF TYPE BARS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED THEREON AT DIFFERENTIAL ANGULARPOSITIONS, A TYPE BAR REST SUPPORT COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) ANARCUATE ELEMENT FOR CUSHIONING THE HEAD OF SAID TYPE BARS WHEN RESTORED,(B) AN ARCUATE RIGID GUIDE SECURED TO SAID SEGMENT AND MOUNTING SAIDELEMENT FOR RADIAL AS WELL AS TANGENTIAL RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT, (C) APAIR OF SPRINGS FOR CONNECTING EACH ONE OF THE TWO ENDS OF SAID ELEMENTSTO SAID GUIDE, (D) AND INTERMEDIATE MEANS INTERPOSED BETWEEN EACH ONE OFSAID TWO ENDS AND THE CORRESPONDING SPRING OF SAID PAIR SO PIVOTED ONSAID GUIDE AS TO ENABLE SAID PAIR OF SPRINGS TO BE AFFECTED BY SAIDELEMENT UNDER THE SHOCK OF THE RESTORED TYPE BAR SUBSTANTIALLY IN ACONSTANT MANNER IRRESPECTIVE OF THE ANGULAR POSITION THEREOF.